The Hogwarts Games
by Momsie.Popsicle
Summary: When the train to the Capitol breaks down, Katniss and Peeta board the Hogwarts Express and arrive at Hogwarts where they are sorted into houses. Will they stay in the wizarding world or try to get back to Panem. Meanwhile, the 74th Hunger Games proceeds with two new tributes from 12: Prim & Gale.
1. Chapter 1 - Welcome Aboard!

**A bit of brief explination as to timeline and POV. The Hogwarts part of this is taking place during the 4th Harry Potter book, Goblet of Fire. The Hunger Games portion is taking place just after the reaping for the 74th Games. The difference in time will be revealed/discussed in subsequent chapters, but yes, there is a ripple in the time-space continuum. The main POV is going to be through Peeta, the other POV that you will see is Gale (how I envision them)...**

Panem

We board the train and Effie shows us each to our own private coach. She tells us to clean up and meet in the dining car in an hour. Katniss disappears behind her door and I go straight to the bathroom in my coach, where I wash some of the stress of the morning away. Feeling refreshed, I open the top drawer of the dresser and pull on the first shirt and pair of pants I come across. I doubt an hour has passed, but I head to the dining car anyways.

Katniss arrives into the dining car seconds after I do, but Haymitch and Effie have yet to arrive. We stand in the doorway, in awkward silence for a couple seconds, neither of us sure what to say. The sway of the train suddenly jerks and Katniss loses her balance falling into my arms. I steady her and she apologizes.

"It's okay," I say. "Why don't we just go in and wait for them." She nods in agreement and pulls herself from my arms.

We've taken two steps into the room when the train jerks again and this time we both fall to the ground. The breaks screech and we look at each other in question as the train comes to a stop. _We can't be at the Capitol yet_ I think. And looking out the window I can see that we're in the middle of nowhere.

Effie comes running into the dining car and skitters to a halt just in the door. "Oh, there you are. Nothing to worry about. We've had some mechanical trouble but we should be on our way shortly." She turns on her heels and sprints out of the room, towards the front of the train.

"So," I say, trying to stop the awkward silence from coming back. "Are you and that Gale guy dating?" The straightforward question surprises me, but there's no taking back the words.

Katniss seems surprised by the question too and for a second she looks confused.

"No, not really." She says after a minute. "Why do you ask?"

I shrug and give her a smile. "It just seems like we're about to spend a lot of time around each other so I thought it'd be nice to actually talk for once." She can't deny that she's been avoiding me at school. I think she never noticed me till the day I gave her that bread, but since then, I often find her watching me, almost as much as I watch her.

"Well, we're not a couple. Just hunting partners." She says, and for a second the silence starts to grow. "What about you and Delly?"

Delly Cartright is a good friend of mine. Daughter of the cheese monger, we grew up in town, playing together behind our shops. There's never been so much as a kiss between us.

"No, just friends." I say, wracking my brain for anything else to talk about. I come up with nothing and leave the ball in her court. She doesn't return it and the silence creeps back up.

Haymitch and Effie both enter the car this time, Haymitch looking confused and Effie annoyed. "It would seem that our train is broken and we have to use an old steam engine for the rest of the trip." She is obviously upset at the downgrade in accommodations.

We step off the train and walk to the one which has pulled up in front of it, gleaming in red and gold, with polish on every bolt, steam pouring out of the bright red stack. On the front there is a plaque with the name of the train "Hogwarts Express".

The Hogwarts Express doesn't have the plush quarters of the tribute train but there are several compartments that are comfortable enough. Effie reluctantly selects one and the four of us take our seats. We rock with the steady sway of the train car, which is moving much slower than the last train, and none of us talk. After about an hour of watching the countryside, a thick fog starts to roll in, obscuring every drop of color so that we're practically rolling through a cloud.

The pocket door slides into the wall and all four of us look up, expecting a Capitol attendant, but we find an old lady pushing a cart. "Anything from the trolley dears?" I look at the cart and see an array of candies and treats that I've never seen in the sweet shop; chocolate frogs, licorice wands, every flavor beans, something called a pumpkin pasty and scores of other weird foods fill the shelves of the cart.

"Well, I would like something to eat." Effie says, standing and almost immediately losing her balance and falling into Haymitch's lap. He laughs heartily and gives her a pat on the butt and she squeals in shock, jumping up and glaring at him. "Of all the impertinent- Brutish- You cad!" She checks her wig and smooths her skirt then turns to the lady with the cart, using the wall to support her balance. "What do you have that's low-carb?" She asks, looking over the cart with disgust.

"Low-carb?" The old woman looks both confused and amused. "Honey, it's a sweet cart. Everything on here is made of sugar." If she's giving out candy, I'm on board.

"I'll have a chocolate frog." I say. The lady beams at me and picks one up off the cart and hands it to me.

"That'll be four sickles, deary." She says, holding out an empty hand. _Sickles?_ I can tell she's talking about money, but it's no currency I've ever heard of. I look over to Effie for help, maybe they use something different in the Capitol.

"Sickle? What are you talking about?" Effie says. "We don't pay for anything. Snow pays for all of this."

The old lady chuckles and takes the frog out of my hands. "I don't accept snow, rain, sunshine or anything else. If you got Knuts, Sickles or Galleons we're in business, otherwise..." She shrugs when none of us produce any of her weird money and pushes her cart away, letting the pocket door slide closed again.

"Well!" Effie says, slumping back into her chair. "I will certainly have some words with my people back in the Capitol. I mean, it's one thing for the train to break down, but to stick us on this Podunk excuse for a transport that won't even feed us." Then she trails off muttering about weird staff and sugar.

I turn to Katniss and hold out my hand, "Thumb war?" She looks at my outstretched hand and then at me, then she starts laughing and takes my hand.

"I haven't had a thumb war since grade school" she says, maneuvering her thumb around mine, trying to pin it down. We wrestle our thumbs for a good 10 minutes, me winning sometimes, letting her win other times, but eventually the novelty wears off and we both get bored. What I wouldn't do for a book about now, but there are none around.

A man walks down the corridor ringing a bell and shouting, I can't quite make out what he's saying so I stagger over to the door and pull it open in time to hear "Next stop, King's Crossing, Platform 9 3/4"


	2. Chapter 2 - Reaping & Hogsmeade Station

Panem

For the first time in my life, I am drunk. It's been four hours since Katniss has been hauled away to the Capitol. I got Prim and Mrs. Everdeen safely home after the reaping and wandered the woods screaming and yelling until I was hoarse. Then I made my way to the Hob and Rippers counter. Without a word she poured me a glass of white liquor and so far hasn't let me see the bottom of it. The population at the Hob is more subdued than I've ever seen. They all feel the pain. One of our own has been reaped.

"District 12 citizens, please return to the square. District 12 citizens, please return to the square." The announcement over the seldom used PA speakers crackled over the lone speaker tucked in the corner of the old abandoned warehouse. The unprecedented request causes confusion and curiosity throughout the building and we converge on the street in a half drunken parade back to the square.

When we arrive we are surprised to see the television crew back in the square and Mayor Undersee back on stage. The bowls of paper slips and roped off areas for the reaping are still up and the large screen erected above the stage has a message flashing on it.

"12 to 18 year old boys and girls, please re-assemble for a new reaping."

The din of the crowd is deafening, echoing off the shops around the square. It takes Mayor Undersee several minutes to get everyone's attention and quiet us down. In the end it takes several short bursts of gunfire into the air from the Peacekeepers before everyone stops talking.

"The tribute train containing Katniss Everdeen, Peeta Melark, Effie Trinket and Haymitch Abernathy had mechanical difficulty and the four of them are missing." Mayor Undersee's announcement sends a shock wave through the crowd and the chatter and cries of distress once again overpower his words. When he is able quiet us again he continues. "Because the representatives of District 12 have not made it to the Capitol, they have sent us another escort to do a second drawing."

Silence. Not a single whisper of sound creeps through the crowd. The click of spiked heels on the stage as our new "Effie" approaches the microphone.

"Hello District 12, my name is Vivacia. Happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favor!" The new Effie also sports a large curly wig, but hers is a deep cerulean, matching the tight, short dress that is complete with a full set of peacock feathers attached to the back. She seems nonplussed by the hostile silence emanating from the crowd and her smile falters a bit. "Ladies first!" She sways her mass of feathers as she walks to the big glass bowl containing the girls names. She digs around for a minute and pulls a slip of paper from the bottom then walks back to the mic. "Primrose Everdeen."

The pit drops out of my stomach. What are the odds that a little girl with just one slip would be drawn from thousands not once, but twice. If possible, the people of District 12 are even more upset about her name being drawn than they were earlier today.

Prim makes her way to the stage and this time, there is no one who is willing to volunteer. Mayor Undersee looks positively green at the announcement of her name and Mrs. Everdeen screams, falling to the ground. The baker rushes to her side and pulls her into his arms, offering comfort to the woman who is losing her whole family. My teeth grind and I watch Vivacia prance over to the bowl of boys names and dig around in it as well. After a minute she pulls a slip from the pile and returns to the mic to read it. _Not Gale Hawthorne. Not Gale Hawthorne. _I think. "Gale Hawthorne."

Shit.

Hogwarts

Six hours after leaving King's Crossing, the train pulls into the next station and we are hoping it's the Capitol. Effie is frazzled, Haymitch is cranky from the hours drying out, Katniss is sullen and pouting and we're all starving. Katniss and I each had a small pack of cookies that my father had given us, but those didn't last long. Effie nibbled one, complaining of the carbs the whole time, Haymitch scarfed down four before we got them away from him. Katniss and I split the remaining cookie.

I look out the window, eager to see what the Capitol looks like and I'm disappointed to see a small, somewhat rundown station. You'd think with the money that they have, they could at least maintain a decent train station. Effie looks out the window too and I can hear her tsk. "This isn't the Capitol either. Where on earth are they going?" She walks over to the door and pushes it open, but her progress out of the compartment is stopped by hundreds of children in black cloaks filing down the corridor and off the train. When the train empties out, we wait for it to start moving again but it doesn't. Curiosity finally wins out and Katniss and I decide to see what's going on. We wander through the silent train and after three cars we run into the conductor.

"Can you tell us when the train will be continuing on to the Capitol?" I ask.

"Capitol?" He asks with a chuckle. "This train won't be returning to London until Christmas break. Hogsmeade is the end of the line." His slow rounded speech is so drastically different from that of Effie that it's instantly apparent that he's not from the Capitol himself. He walks off, leaving me and Katniss standing alone in the car.

"I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore." I mutter to Katniss. The old fashioned phrase references a bit of pop culture from long before Panem was formed. I don't know what it was originally from, but it's something my friends and I say when things are seeming a bit out of the ordinary.

"Where the heck is Kansas. What are you talking about?" She scowls at me and shoves past to go back to Haymitch and Effie.

Effie is pacing the tiny compartment when we return and Haymitch is awake and scowling at her. "Would you just sit down and shut up for a minute!" he yells at her just as we open the door. They both look at us expectantly and I shrug.

"They said that this is the end so I guess we're stuck here. Wherever 'here' is." At her words, Haymitch and Effie both storm out of the compartment, nearly knocking us over in the process, and we all exit the train to see exactly where "here" was.

A wooden sign dangles from little hooks on an awning declaring we are at "Hogsmeade Station".

"Excuse me," Effie says to a cloaked man with a lantern. "Can you tell me who's in charge here? We seem to have gotten lost and need to find our way back to Panem."

"That would be Dumbledore." The man says, pointing up at a large castle in the distance. "Up 'ere at Hogwarts. You'll be takin' a boat with the others then." Down the platform, past the train we can see a small dock with several row boats and a lake containing dozens more which are loaded down with children.

"Ah, Thank you," Effie says and totters off towards the dock. The rest of us follow her and we select one of the boats. Haymitch plants himself in the front, Effie and Katniss sit on one of the seats and I take the other, putting my back to Haymitch.

For a second we just sit there and Effie smiles expectantly. "I think we have to use these to make it move." Katniss says, lifting a long wooden paddle from the floor of a boat. We look around and see other people using the paddles to propel them along in the water.

"Alright then," Effie says, picking up the two paddles and putting the wider parts in the water. She splashes them in and out, wiggles them back and forth and manages to turn us to the left a little, but not move us forward.

"I've got it Effie." I say taking the paddle in my hands and mimicking the motions of those in the other boats. It takes a few minutes for me to get into a rhythm and get us moving in the right direction, and we follow the rest of the boats towards the castle.


	3. Chapter 3 - Final Goodbyes, First Hellos

**Panem**

Since we're already behind schedule, Prim and I don't get the hour of goodbyes that a tribute normally gets. Instead Mrs. Everdeen and my family all come into the lobby of the Justice building and we're allowed fifteen minutes. I give Rory a big hug, "You're in charge now. You take care of them, but don't take out Tesserae, Katniss and I already made arrangements in the Hob. You go see Ripper, she'll help out." Rory nods solemnly and lifts his chin. He doesn't cry but I see his Adam's apple bob as he swallows hard.

I give Vick a knuckle sandwich and a pat on the head. His cheeks are streaked with tears and he gives me a half smile. "Give 'em hell, Gale."

"Vick!" Mother says, shaking her head but pulling Vick over for a hug. I look at Posy who is grinning like a fool. I scoop her into my arms and plant kisses on her forehead and cheeks.

"You'll win Gale. I know you can. Then we'll move to Victor's Village!" She strokes her little hand down my cheek and I hold her closer.

"Sounds good little bit," I say, the words catching on the thickness in my throat. "Sounds good."

I set her down and look to my mother and she pulls me into her arms, pressing my head against her shoulder and I bend down to let her. For five minutes she just holds me and I hold her back. She kisses my forehead and I straighten up and look down on her.

"She's right you know," mother wipes a tear that's rolled down my cheek. "You can win this."

"Yeah, but what is the cost going to be? If I kill a kid, then part of me will stay in that arena forever."

"You hunt, isn't it the same thing?" The irony of the conversation isn't lost on me since I had a similar one with Katniss just hours before. I tried to convince her that it was the same too. I glance over to Prim, one of the kids who will have to die in order for me to come home. She and her mother have been hugging the whole time and not saying a word. They both know that her chances of coming home are slim.

"I'm gonna make sure she comes home." I say darkly. My mother looks up at me then over to Prim and her mother. She knows immediately that I'll do it and I see her heart breaking. The tears flow free and she nods, not trusting her words. With a final kiss on my cheek she steps away.

"I love you son." she says when her words work again. I turn to the peacekeepers and they lead me out of the justice building with Prim right behind me. She holds her head up high and the anger emanating from her shows clearly for the camera crew. The Capitol citizens must be enjoying the show this year.

Prim and I board the hovercraft to head to the Capitol, I guess they aren't taking chances with another train going wrong.

* * *

**Hogwarts**

We disembark the little row boat and manage to help a barely lucid Haymitch out of it without him falling in the lake and we board a carriage to go up to the massive castle at the top of the hill. Effie sighs and smiles at us all.

"A horse drawn carriage, how quaint and lovely," Effie says. "I wouldn't be surprised if they offer us food when we arrive. You know, I am quite sure that this little detour of ours is going to make quite a fun story back in the Capitol. I wonder what breed of horses they have." Effie leans out the window and shrieks, falling back into her seat.

Katniss and I glance at each other then both scramble to the window to look at the horses ourselves. We hear the clippity clop of hooves on the path, but there are no horses. Unease seeps into me and while I don't scream I am more than a little disturbed by the lack of anything pulling the carriage.

"Maybe it's like the old combustion engines and doesn't need horses and it's just done up to seem like a carriage. I'll bet the whole thing is on rails." I say, trying to comfort our escort. Even though I know I didn't see any rails in the path. Katniss looks quizzically at me but says nothing.

"Oh how lovely!" Effie says, and I'm not sure if she believes us or not. She spends the rest of the short ride up to the castle chatting about what she's going to do "as soon as we're out of this backwards town, even though it is quite charming." I nod when appropriate but I'm not paying attention to her. I wonder about the carriage that pulls itself.

We arrive at the castle and Effie starts off after the children towards the main entrance with Haymitch stumbling behind her. Katniss grabs my arm and holds me back. "What were you talking about with rails? There were horses. Well sort of. They were grotesque, but I think they were horses."

"Horses? Katniss, nothing was pulling the carriage." I say, turning back to look at the carriage. I can swear that I still hear stamping hooves and snorts, but there is nothing there.

"Look," Katniss says. "I know what I saw. Well, no. I don't know _what_ I saw, but I know that I saw something. They have leathery skin and wings and their bodies are emaciated, but I'm pretty sure that I saw horses.

"Let's just get up to the castle," I say. "I don't know what it is about this place but it's weird and I'm not sure I like it."

We start to follow Effie and Haymitch up the hill and Katniss snorts. "You know," she says. "I don't care how weird this place is. It's not an arena where I have to fight to the death so I'm okay staying here." I have to admit, she has a good point.

We reach the castle and a burly man stands surrounded by a group of kids that can't be more than 11 or 12 years old. "Welcome to Hogwarts First Years, Wait here for Professor McGonagal and she'll take ya on in to be sorted into your houses."

"Excuse me sir!" Effie says. "I need to speak with a Mr. Dumbledore." She toddles after the hairy beast of a man, leaving Haymitch, Katniss and I with the group of kids.


	4. Chapter 4 - Sobrium Totalus

Panem

The hovercraft gets us to the Capitol only an hour later than the train would have arrived. Prim is carted off with a team of ridiculous looking people and a team of my own ridiculous looking fools comes to get me. They fawn over me and gush compliments about my build and my skin and so many things that block out their blather and remind myself that I'm not allowed to punch them. The alcohol buzz has worn off and my head is killing me. Being sober sucks right now and I understand Haymitch a little for the first time. I want a lot of water and some sleep. I ask for the water, my voice still a little raspy from yelling it out earlier, and one of the prep team, a tiny blue tinted sprite of a girl with silver hair, jumps up to get me a glass of water. I chug it and can feel three sets of eyes watching me. One of them sighs deeply. The entire thing ratchets up my anger and annoyance.

No one told us anything about what happened with Katniss and the others. I worry about her, but I know she can take care of herself, and the others. Prim is my new focus. I promised Katniss that I wouldn't let her starve and I'm going to carry that promise into the arena.

With my body scrubbed, hair trimmed and cleanly shaven, the prep team forlornly leaves and a young black woman with curly blonde hair comes in. "Hello Gale," she says. "My name is Portia. My partner Cinna and I have an excellent idea for your costume choices."

I shrug as if I couldn't care less. I don't need sponsors. I can take care of both of us. I've been doing that and more for years. Portia and I eat lunch together, there is so much food I gorge myself, not caring if it grosses out the Capitol pet. She tells me about the costume for the opening ceremony and I'm glad it's not a coal minor's outfit, I've barely escaped wearing that uniform for the rest of my life. Portia seems almost regretful that they aren't going with coal dust, but the sentiment is fleeting and she seems genuinely proud of what they came up with. After she describes it to me, I have to admit that it does sound original and, actually, pretty cool. I can easily see some sponsors being attracted to their design, and after hearing her talk about all the sponsors have access to, I start to think that getting some sponsors might not be terrible.

Once I'm dressed in the skin tight black outfit with belt and headdress, we head to the ground floor of the building to get on the chariots for the opening ceremony. Prim is dressed identical to me and she's looking a little bit terrified. I smile at her and grab her arm, pulling her in for a hug. She lets out a quiet sob, the tension hitting a breaking point, and wraps her arms around me tight. I stroke her hair and glare at the boy from District two who is pointing at Prim and snickering to the girl from his district. She winks at me and I roll my eyes. The fancy flame belt that our stylists have put us in has flipped out in the back of Prim's outfit and I'm reminded of Katniss's nickname for her sister. "Hey, little duck," I say, tugging the belt part a bit and making her giggle. "I'm sure Katniss is fine. You know she's a survivor."

Prim nods and looks up at me. "I know," she says with a sniffle.

"Really, you should be more worried about us." I say, my eyes somber. "We're the ones about to be barbequed." This earns an outright laugh and I give her a kiss on the top of her head. "Go ahead and tuck in that tail little bit. She does and we step onto the chariot, watching the district four chariot, with the tributes dressed as what I'm guessing is mermaids, on their tour over to the city center. The stylists arrive with torches in hand and slender fingers gingerly reach out and grab my hand. I give Prim a reassuring squeeze and wait for the heat from the flames, but there is none, it's just a whisper of a tickle. Prim's fingers relax a little but I don't let her go. I know Everdeen women are good at putting up a strong front, no matter how terrified they are.

"Come on," I say. "Let's go win some sponsors."

Hogwarts

Effie returns with a man who is older than president Snow, with a long white beard and a purple robe. He looks at us over half moon spectacles and nods quietly as Effie introduces each of us.

"It is a pleasure to meet all of you." Dumbledore says, his voice barely over a hoarse whisper. "Miss Trinket has appraised me of your situation and we at Hogwarts will be happy to help you." Haymitch belches and Dumbledore's nose wrinkles slightly, but he continues. "I'm afraid however that your Panem is much farther away than a simple train ride so it may take us a while to work out just how to get you home."

"Take your time, really." Katniss says, a smile on her lips. I gape at her for a second.

"You're just going to up and leave your mother and Prim?" I say, disbelief lacing my voice.

"Prim?" she says. "I left Prim already. The only thing waiting for me in Panem is a horrible death. Thanks, but I'd rather stay here at PigWarts."

"While you are here," Dumbledore continues, as if we hadn't spoken at all. "You will be sorted into houses and attend classes with the other first year students. Miss Trinket, do you have any skills?"

"Of course I do!" She says indignantly. "I am a Capitol escort, I can..." She trails off a little, no specific skills coming to mind at first. "I am very good at keeping people on schedule, I am a whiz with social networking and I have quite a keen fashion sense." The triumphant look on her face makes me smile a little.

"And Mr. Abernathy?" Dumbledore turns to Haymitch and studies him quietly. "I think, first a little sobering up." He pulls a long, intricately carved, white stick from his robe sleeve and swishes it through the air. "Sobrium totalus!" at the last he flicks the stick towards Haymitch and in an instant I see our mentor stand up straight, blink his eyes and narrows them at Dumbledore.

"What the hell did you just do to me?" He demands. I can see his hands balling up into fists and I step over to stop him from whatever he might be planning to do. Katniss subtly shifts her stance too and I know she is preparing to do the same.

"I merely assisted you in communicating with us more easily, Mr. Abernathy." Says Dumbledore. "You will not feel the effects of the alcohol wearing off, and your head should be clear."

"Did you stop to think that I might have been drinking for a reason?" Haymitch looks more pained than angry now, but his fists are still balled up.

"Ah," says Dumbledore softly. "But when we avoid our past, we cannot help but repeat it in our future. Don't you think you might be more useful to these children if you used the pain of your past to hone your mind and let your sharp whits lend to guiding them?"

Haymitch looked about ready to argue and decided against it. "So what do you want?" He finally asked.

"What skills might you have that could be put to use here in the school?"

"I know basic hand to hand combat, and I drink." Haymitch shrugs as if to apologize and Dumbledore nods at him.

"I'm sure that we will find suitable tasks at the school for you both." He nods to the Hairy man, who stood guard over us the whole time. "Hagrid, please get robes for our guests and bring them to the great hall."

"Yes, sir. Dumbledore sir." Hagrid replies. "All right you lot, Follow me."


	5. Chapter 5 - Mentors and Muggles

**Sorry for the long delay between chapters. for being so patient I have a double sized chapter for you all. Enjoy...**

**Panem**

After the opening ceremonies, Vivacia takes us into an elevator that shoots up to the twelfth floor. Prim looks a little green and I'm feeling a little woozy myself, but we make it to the top without being sick. Once we get to the twelfth floor Vivacia tells us that our mentor will be joining for dinner in an hour and to go clean up. Mentor? Who the heck is going to be our mentor? There are no other living district twelve victors.

When I walk into the room that's been readied for me, the opulence I see everywhere revives the anger that always bubbles just below the surface. The amount of money the Capitol spent on just this one room is probably more than a coal miner makes in a year. Knowing there are 23 other rooms just like this, 12 more fancy dining rooms and sitting rooms with state of the art technology, more food than they could possibly consume before it goes bad, the whole thing is disgusting. Why couldn't they share just a little bit of that wealth with the districts? Why starve us to death all year and then throw us into a deathmatch?

I strip out of my ridiculous leotard and flame outfit, annoyed to discover that they've not brought my reaping outfit and I have to wear something they've provided for me. In the bathroom the panel of buttons that controls the shower is a little daunting and it takes me a while to find something that resembles a basic shower. Once figured out, I wash off the layers of make up that the prep team smeared on me and don't wait to be called to dinner. I get dressed in a black t-shirt and blue jeans, and go out to see what information I can find out about the missing train.

Vivacia isn't around, but she didn't say we had to stay put so I get in the elevator and go back to the ground floor. With all the tributes in their rooms and the chariots put away, it's a ghost town. I wander for 15 minutes before I encounter someone. He's dressed in a white sleeveless tunic and looks surprised to see me but doesn't say anything to me.

"Excuse me," I say. "I'm trying to find out some information about the missing tribute train. Can you help me?" The man glances around then points at a hallway to my right then rushes away without saying a word. I head down the hallway checking each door that I come across. Locked. All of them.

I turn to head back to my floor, annoyed at the guy for wasting my time and nearly run into a man coming out of one of the locked rooms. He's dressed in a lemony yellow suit wit black trim. His dark hair is slicked back and his sideburns are ridiculously long. "Can you tell me anything about the missing tribute train?"

"And you are?" His haughty reply is exactly what I expect from Capitol residents. I curl my fist and he glances down at it, apprehension warring with superiority in his eyes.

"I'm Gale Hawthorne, from District Twelve, and I wouldn't be here if you guys hadn't lost the other train so I think I'm entitled to information." Superiority wins out and he gives me a smug smile.

"The train isn't lost, they just aren't on it. Don't worry boy, we're trying to locate them, and if we do, you'll be reunited with your filthy little friends in the arena." He walks off down the hall and I punch the wall, furious that no one will tell me anything. The man stops at the sound of my fist cracking the plaster and he turns back to me. "Be careful _boy_, I'm the head gamemaker, you don't want to get on my bad side so early in the Games. I can make what's left of your very short life absolutely miserable." He resumes he walk down the hall and scans his thumb to enter another of the locked doors down the hall. He smirks at me just before he disappears into the door.

Head gamemaker? A fleeting thought of murder crosses my mind, but I know that I can't just cut the head off the snake, slimy as he is, because there will be another snake waiting in the grass to take his place. Instead, I tamp down my anger and head back to the 12th floor to meet my mentor.

Prim is in the sitting room, her attention zeroed in on the man standing on the balcony just outside the room. When I walk in, he turns to look at me and comes inside. I recognize him immediately and my stomach sours. He's the victor from nine years ago, one of the career pack tributes from District 4 and his pretty boy face has been splashed all over our screens since just a couple years after his victory, usually half naked. I pretend ignorance because I don't like having this prima donna around, especially not with Prim drooling over him like she is.

"Hey Prim, who's our guest?" I sit next to her and draw her attention away from the vulture. "You get a sponsor already?"

Prim giggles at me and gestures excitedly at the man, confirming what I suspected and dreaded. "Gale! Finnick Odair has volunteered to be our mentor! Finnick! Can you believe it!"

Finnick holds out his hand for me to shake and I eye him suspiciously. "Volunteered? Why would you go and do that?" I cross my arms and glare at him. He seems unphased and drops his hand.

"Maybe I like a challenge." He cocks an eyebrow at me. "Maybe I'm really good friends with Haymitch and I'm worried for my friend. Maybe I'm bored."

Of everything he says the last is probably the truth. Vivacia comes into the sitting room and sees the two of us facing off. "Oh good, you're all here. Come, come. It's time for dinner."

Prim scampers up the three steps out of the sitting area and goes into the dining room with Vivacia. I whip my hand out to stop Finnick from moving. "You stay away from Prim, you hear me?"

Finnick looks at my arm, looks at where Prim just disappeared around the doorway and finally looks at me. He laughs and sloughs my hand off. "Trust me, I have no interest in little girls."

"Be that as it may, she obviously has a silly celebrity crush on you. Just," I pause for a second and realize that I really don't think he has any designs on Prim. It doesn't mean I trust him, but I am not repulsed by him. "Don't encourage her okay. None of that walking around half dressed crap we see all the time."

His eyes darken a little at that and his jaw goes rigid. "I promise to remain fully clothed." He looks like he wants to say something else but Vivacia trills from the dining room that they're waiting on us and we head in to dinner.

**Hogwarts**

It takes me a few minutes to pull my eyes away from what should be the ceiling. The open night sky by itself would have been enough to entrance me, but what really catches my eye are the candles; hundreds of them floating a couple yards above everyone's heads. Katniss elbows me in the ribs and I look around. We stand in a large eating hall with four long rows of tables, each one filled with kids in black robes. I look down at the robe that I've been given and stifle a laugh. If my friends back home could see me now, I'd be the laughing stock of the group for the rest of my life. Katniss doesn't seem to happy about the robe either, but she stands quietly awaiting instruction. A group of younger kids, maybe eleven or twelve, stand clustered in the front of the room and listen to Dumbledore give announcements for the start of term. He tells the students that there are some unexpected guests who will be joining them this year and introduces Effie and Haymitch. "Miss Trinket and Mr. Abernathy have graciously agreed to help out professor Burbage in Muggle studies, and additionally Mr. Abernathy will be helping Mr. Filch and Hagrid as needed with the grounds and game keeping. The others," he glances at me and Katniss over half moon glasses. "Will be sorted into houses and will attend classes with you."

He steps down and a harsh looking woman stands by a stool with a battered, old, pointy hat. She starts reading names from a list and each child takes their place on the stool with the hat on their head. The first time it happens I'm stunned. The hat starts off squirming around on the kid's head then after a minute it calls out what I figure out to be a house name. When she has sorted the last student, the professors icy stare lands on me and I walk up to the stool and let her place the hat on my head.

_What's this? _A gravelly voice whispers in my ear and it takes me a second to realize it's the hat talking. _A Muggle? Well, well, well. This is a first. No matter, muggles can learn magic just as well. The question is where to place you. Let's see, I sense strong aptitude in here, loyalty, untried courage too. A good heart, yes. I think it should be GRYFFINDOR! _The hat yells out the last word and I go to the table where the other new Gryffindor kids went. Some of the kids at the table look pleased to meet me, others seem a little curious, but overall friendly.

I look up to the front where Katniss sits and wonder what the hat is whispering in her ear. She doesn't bother masking the hostile and sullen expression on her face and I wonder if she'll be in Gryffindor with me. Then the the hat calls out. "SLYTHERIN!" I look over at the table of silver and green clad kids and see an edge of hardness there, they almost look like kids from the seam, only cleaner. Katniss could definitely hold her own with them.

Dumbledore returns to the podium and introduces a teacher with a crazy mechanical eye named Alistair Moody, then announces that the school will be playing host to the Triwizard Tournament this year. No sooner does he say this than the door at the rear of the room opens and bevy of lovely girls floats into the room, graceful as swans. Their trim blue uniforms are sensible, stylish and completely sensual in the way they gently hug the curves of each slender figure.

"May I introduce the lovely ladies of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic" Dumbledore bows to the very tall woman who is clearly the escort for the group of girls. The escort joins the professors at the head tables and the girls sit down at one of the cleared tables near the front of the room. The last girl, a petite little blonde that looks about the age of Prim, is still sitting when the rhythmic pounding echoes in the hall. I turn and see a group of guys who look very serious, in gray, red and black, slamming walking sticks into the ground, with sparks flying with each strike.

Their cadence and demeanor are actually impressive and my foot taps along to the rhythm. I glance over at Katniss and frown. Sitting very close to her is a very blonde boy with slick hair and an even slicker look about him. She's smiling at something he said and he looks up to see me staring at them. His mouth twists into a smug smirk and he cocks an eyebrow at me as if to challenge me to the right to talk to her.

When the serious looking guys are seated Dumbledore invites us all to eat. The boy is forgotten when food appears out of nowhere and I stifle an exclamation of shock. Not only have I never seen food appear out of thin air in Panem, but there is more food on just the table I'm sitting at than I've ever seen in one place before in my life. Kids around me reach into the dishes, grabbing rolls, chicken legs, corn cobs, scooping creamy fluff that I find out is made of potatoes. As a dish is emptied, it automatically fills itself. I dig in and eat two plates full of food before the girl next to me leans over.

"You probably want to save some room. The desserts are quite amazing." I turn and look at the girl and my breath catches. She has long brown hair, like Katniss does, but hers is a soft chestnut brown that falls in a mass of curls that she has tried to tame with some twist hairdo. She smiles at me and holds out her hand. "Hermione Granger."

I'm fascinated by the round tones of her speech; like everyone else here, she has an accent that I can't place. If there were any doubt that we weren't in Panem, just the way everyone talks is a dead giveaway. I shake her hand and grin at her. "Peeta Melark, nice to meet you."

Her eyes light up when I talk and she turns to face me more. "You're an American? I thought there were only muggles there. Are you from a wizard family or are you muggle born too?"

I reel at the questions she fires off and wish that we knew more about this place, I'm not exactly sure what half of what she said means, but I shrug. "I guess you could sort of call me American, I guess that's what Panem used to be called a couple hundred years ago. But I don't know what a muggle is and I am pretty sure I'm not a wizard."

She freezes when I talk and I notice that quite a few of the other kids around me have frozen too. "Not a wizard? But how can that be. I don't think Dumbledore would have sorted you into houses if you weren't a witch and wizard. Maybe you just don't know you are that's all." The kids sitting around us slowly start eating again, though I've noticed that the red haired boy on the other side of Hermione has scooted a little farther down the bench.

"It's okay," a shaggy, brown haired boy with round glasses across from me says. "I didn't know I was a wizard until I got my letter. I mean, I'm sure a lot of muggles don't know until they do get their letters. Oh, and muggle is non-magic folk, I guess you have another word for them back in America -er, Panem." Hermione beams at the boy and turns back to me.

"I'm a bit confused about this Panem. I've studied world geography quite a bit and I've never heard of this place. And what's more, America still exists. When did you say America became... Panem?"

I'm a little annoyed at this know-it-all girl who is trying to tell my that my country doesn't exist. "To be specific," I say hotly. "The country was re-named Panem after the War of 2073."

Hermione half-gasps, half-squeals and claps her hands a little. "I knew it! You're from the future! How ever did you get to Hogwarts in 1994? You must be a very powerful wizard, or at least one of your companions must be. Did you use a portkey?"

My mouth goes dry. 1994? It can't be possible. "If you'll excuse me, I'll be right back." I don't wait for a reply; I march straight across to the table where Katniss is sitting.

"Katniss, May I have a word with you?" I half expect an argument from her and see the blonde boy is about to speak but Katniss cuts him off.

"Yes," she says, then turns to the boy. "I'll be right back Draco." She follows me out of the room and we duck into an alcove to talk. With everyone busy at the feast it's not very hard to find privacy.

"We have to find a way back." I say.

"Are you crazy?" She asks. "This place is incredible! And I don't know if you've noticed, but no one here is trying to kill us. Huge improvement. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to go enjoy being a teenager for the first time in my life."

"And what about Prim?" I ask halting her retreat. "You think that the Capitol is just going to call off the games since we're not there? Or that maybe they'll just exclude District 12? Her name was drawn before you volunteered, maybe they'll keep her and just draw a new boy." I can see that my words have sunk in and she looks downright sick.

"We have to go home," she says firmly. "We need to leave right now. I don't care what that guy at the train said, we can get a hovercraft or something; we can't have traveled too far from Panem." She turns to leave the alcove and I reach out to stop her.

"I don't think that the where is going to matter as much as the when." I say slowly. She whips around and glares at me.

"What do you mean _when_?" She asks.

"Apparently it's 1994 and Panem doesn't even exist yet." Katniss turns white and starts shaking her head.

"No, no, no. This can't be happening!" Katniss growls and punches the wall next to her, then yelps and grasps her hand to staunch the tiny gush of blood that flows out of her knuckle.

"Okay, let's get you to a healer and we'll see how we can get back home." I lead her back to the dining hall to see if we can get her bandaged up.

**What do you guys think? Are you surprised by the sorting of the characters? How do you think the District 4 Tributes will react to one of their mentors volunteering to work with District 12? Do you think Finnick will make a better mentor than Haymitch?**


	6. Chapter 6 - The Roof and The Wands

Panem

After dinner we watch a recap of the events of the reaping. I size up the competition and only a couple of the other tributes stand out at all. The career tributes of course, and a smattering of tributes from the other districts. The boy from Eleven, Thrash, impresses me with his size and how he too looks ready to fight the Capitol themselves. They show the first reaping of Twelve, with Katniss volunteering for Prim, and I watch myself carry a kicking and screaming Prim back to her mother. Seeing Katniss on the screen I want to kick myself for not having kissed her when I said goodbye to her. Now, I'll never get a chance to. It was one thing saying goodbye to her, I knew she stood a shot of coming back home, but now... Now she's really gone.

The original tribute train from Twelve gets a special feature as the Capitol describes what they suspect happened and talk in earnest about search parties working feverishly to find the lost tributes, their mentor and their escort. They cut to the second reaping of Twelve and I again watch myself. Knowing how drunk I was at the time, I'm a little impressed that I didn't fall or really sway -that much.

We watch the opening ceremonies and for the first time I realize how much we shined with the fake flames that Cinna and Porsha had for us. I look fierce and dangerous, Prim looks ethereal, a tiny flame goddess. One of the commentators says I am devilishly handsome and I hear a small grunt of agreement from Vivacia.

"Looks like I'm not going to be the only heartthrob out there distracting for the Capitol," says Finnick, grinning over at me. At first I want to punch him for even suggesting that I parade around half naked like he does, but I picture in my mind the revolution that I want to have happen and for a second I picture the amount of destruction that can rain down on the Capitol if they're not paying as close attention. Maybe I can use being a tribute to my advantage. I smile back at Finnick and for a second a shadow crosses his eyes.

Vivacia yawns and tells us we'd better get to bed because we have a big day ahead of us. She leaves the sitting room and Finnick settles more comfortably on the couch grabbing a handful of nuts from a bowl on the table. Prim looks ready to stay up all night staring at our mentor.

"Come on little duck," I say. "Better do as she says."

Prim scowls at me then gives me a hug. "Goodnight Gale," she says. I ruffle her hair and watch her head off to bed, but my mind is racing and I know I can't sleep.

"So, do I have to stay in here, or am I allowed to go explore?"

Finnick looks up at me and smirks. "There's no written rule that you can't leave the floor, but I wouldn't test it out." He throws a nut in the air and catches it in his mouth. Then he looks up at me, gestures with his hand, and throws a nut at my face. I catch it between my teeth and chew it slowly, considering the man in front of me. I want to hate him. He's from District Four, two kids from his district are going to try to kill me, I don't understand why he would volunteer to mentor us, when you add it all together he's someone I shouldn't trust, but I do trust him, at least a little.

"So, why did you volunteer to mentor us?" I ask. "Really."

He chews another nut then stands up from the couch. "Let's go for a walk."

"I thought you said I shouldn't go down and explore." I say.

"Yeah," he says. "But we're not headed down." He walks down the hallway towards my and Prim's rooms and goes to a door marked "ROOF."

"I'm sure it's locked." I say. He opens the door and waggles his eyebrows at me.

"How'd you know about this place?" I ask his back as he leads the way up some stairs.

"Hey, just because I said you shouldn't go exploring, doesn't mean I haven't." Despite myself I grin.

When we exit the door at the top of the stairs the noise of the city below drifts up and it's such a stark contrast from the silence inside that I almost want to plug my ears. How is this a better place to talk than the sitting room?

"I've been waiting for years to be a mentor," he says. "With a lot of victors from my district, I'm not very high on the list to be chosen. But I want to make a difference. I want to help some of these kids going into that arena."

"So we're just a stepping stone on your mentor resume?" I say.

"Not hardly!" Finnick says. "I mean, sure, I would have volunteered anyways, but watching the reapings, I got a feeling that you could really be a winner. That's not something one often says about District Twelve. You guys are usually pretty beaten down."

"If I win that means that Prim has to die," I say. "I promised I would make sure she got home."

"You'd be a better victor for me," he says. "But she would work just fine."

The way he talks, the words he chooses, the fact that he brought me up on a roof with a lot of background noise that could drown out a conversation, all of it adds up to something bigger than just trying to get a feather in his cap.

"What's the big picture?" I ask. "What's really going on?"

Finnick looks me up and down for a second and I start to feel uncomfortable under his gaze. He steps closer and I ball up my fist in case he tries to kiss me. He always has women around him on television, but that could all be a ruse, maybe I've given him the impression somehow that I'm interested. He gets uncomfortably close and I get ready to lay him flat, then he speaks.

"I've been working with Haymitch and a few of the other victors." His voice is lowered so that I can barely hear him, in spite of being so close. "We've been rallying forces to try and get a revolution going."

"So what would you need me, or Prim for?" I ask. I can't imagine Haymitch being sober long enough to work with anyone on anything.

"For the face of the revolution. The career pack is no good, the people from the other districts wouldn't trust them." Finnick gets more excited as he talks and takes a couple steps back, his volume increasing. I shush him and glance around the roof nervously. I haven't seen any cameras, but I have to think that everything, everywhere is being monitored. Finnick must think so too, or he wouldn't have gotten so close when he started talking.

"Quiet down," I whisper.

"You would be perfect," Finnick continues. "Guys would respect you and look up to you and the girls would listen just because you're hot."

I roll my eyes at that. "What about Prim?" I ask. "She's not exactly one to inspire lust or devotion."

"Everyone adores that girl," he says. "I've been out there listening, they all think she's sweet as sugar. Add to that her missing sister, and the brave friend who dies protecting her in the ring and everyone will pity her so much they'll fall over themselves to help her."

I think about what he's saying. He's talking about treason. If we're discovered we'll be killed, all of us, including Prim. On the other hand, Prim and I are set to go get killed in just a few days so what's the harm in trying to do something more with our lives.

"Okay," I say. "How can I help?"

Finnick grins at me and kneels down to draw in the gravel with his finger.

Hogwarts

I look down at the black, crimson and gold robes that I've been given and feel silly. These would be incredibly impractical in a bakery, as easy as they would be to catch fire, but with everyone else wearing the same thing, I shrug it off. Katniss and I are being taken to London to get our supplies for school. The list I was given would have been ridiculous, had I not already seen the floating candles, the magically appearing food, the ghosts. Sir Nicholas had introduced himself in the dining room the night before and I nearly choked on the pumpkin pasty that I'd been eating. Turns out he's actually a decent guy.

I join Hagrid in the main dining hall and Katniss walks up at the same time. She looks good in the silver and green robes, though she seems annoyed about something.

"These robes are ridiculous," she says when she reaches us. "What if I need to climb a tree or something. They're making me clumsy."

"There'll be no climbing trees," Hagrid says. "No need ta worry 'bout that." Katniss rolls her eyes but Hagrid doesn't seem to notice. "Come along you two."

We walk over to a large fireplace, big enough even that Hagrid could fit inside. He picks up a bucket of ashes and holds it out to each of us.

"What are we supposed to do with that?" Katniss asks.

"Grab yourselves a handful," Hagrid says. "Blimey, ain't ya never traveled by floo powder afore?"

"We're... Muggles," I say, remembering what the girl last night called me. Katniss quirks an eyebrow and Hagrid nods his head.

"Of course you are," he says. "Well, we're going to grab a handful of this here powder then once we step inside the fireplace we tell it where we want to go and throw it down." Katniss and I look skeptical at him but take the handful of ash as he instructs. He grabs his own handful -which ends up being most of what's left in the bucket- and nudges us forward. "I'll go first to show yer how it's done, then you two follow. Be sure to speak clear." Hagrid stands tall, says "Hogsmeade Station" and throws the ash to the ground. From the ashes leaps a bright green flame that consumes him.

I look at Katniss and smile at her. "Ladies first," I say. She scowls at me and stalks over to the fireplace. She turns to face me and sticks out her tongue at me.

"Hogsmeade Station" she says and throws her ashes down. Katniss disappears, the same way that Hagrid did and I step into the fireplace.

I pinch my eyes shut, repeat the steps and wait for flames to burn me when I throw the ashes down. I'm surprised that I feel nothing. I open my eyes and see Hagrid and Katniss standing in front of me, each of them brushing soot from their clothes. My robes look just as bad and I brush off what soot I can as I step out of the fireplace.

"Okay," says Hagrid. "Time to fill those lists. Dumbledore gave us a few galleons ter git yer all set up." He consults his list and points to the left. "We'll start here at Ollivander's ter git yer wands."

"I don't see the point in learning all this stuff," Katniss says. "We're leaving here as soon as we can, and it's not like this stuff is going to do us any good back home."

"The way I see it," says Hagrid. "The Hogwarts Express came and got you, Dumbledore saw fit to sort you. There must be a reason you're here. Best not assume 'twont work back home."

With that, he opens the door for Ollivander's and we all walk in. A bell above the door announces our arrival and a slender, white-haired man comes out from behind one of several tall stacks of long skinny boxes.

"Hello Hagrid," says the man. "Ah, what do we have here?"

"Mr. Ollivander?" Hagrid says. "Didn't expect ter see you here. Who's runnin' the shop at Diagon Alley?"

"My associate is ill and what with the school year starting the shop in London is all but empty." Mr. Ollivander looks past Hagrid to us and smiles with a glint in his eyes. "I see these two need wands."

He looks us up and down, circling us, measuring us and muttering to himself, then he walks over to one of the stacks and pulls out a box. I take a step back, waiting for the rest of the pile to come crashing down, but it doesn't move. The box is caked in dust and Mr. Ollivander removes the lid before holding the box out to Katniss. Inside, on a bed of black velvet is a carved wooden stick. "Eleven inches, Holly with Unicorn hair." Katniss looks at the stick, then at Mr. Ollivander. "Go on and pick it up," he says.

Katniss reaches out and barely touches the stick when Mr. Ollivander snatches the box away. "No! Not this one!" He repeats these steps a few more times, Ash with Phoenix feather, Oak with Dragon Heartstring, each time, letting her barely touch the wand. Finally, he pulls out a red box containing a white wand on a purple velvet bed. Katniss picks up the wand and waves it in the air. Sparks fly out and shower around us.

"Wonderful!" Mr. Ollivander says. "I was hesitant to give you this wand, but I think it's clear you are destined for some great things. Ten and a half inches, made of Hawthorn with a Dragon Heartstring core. Yes, it's an intriguing and complex wand to be sure, though it can be somewhat temperamental."

"Hawthorn?" Katniss whispers and looks down at the wand. She pinches her eyes shut and swallows hard. I want to reach out to her, to comfort her, but Mr. Ollivander has held a box out to me.

"Eleven and a half inches, Red Oak with Unicorn Hair core." He smiles at me and I reach for the wand, fully expecting him to yank it away like he did with Katniss. He doesn't and I swish the wand through the air. Blue and green sparks flitter around the room, lighting up the darkest corners. "Consistent, loyal, courageous. This wand with be with you through thick and thin."

Hagrid drops a couple coins into Mr. Ollivander's hand and herds us out the door. "Best be off, lots ter do."

We go to several more shops getting our weird supplies and take one of the carriages with Katniss's invisible horses back to the school.


	7. author note

Hello dear readers,

I apologize for the long gap since the last update. I was in a car accident and for a while my life was too full to really focus on writing. I'm getting back into the swing of things now but will be taking it slow. For now I will be maintaining two stories, Hogwarts Games and 175th Hunger Games: Choice is an Illusion. If you are also following Peeta, the Boy on Fire or Alice in Oz, don't despair! I will return to those stories as life allows. I hope to have an update for this story within the next couple weeks, but given the holiday, it could be a little longer than that. Thank you for reading!

Momsie Popcicle


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